Heat-Celtics turns fiery, as Garnett faces suspension

A scuffle in front of the Miami Heat bench with 40 seconds left to go in Saturday night's 85-76 loss to the Boston Celtics at TD Garden may not be over, at least to the NBA and perhaps also to Heat forward Quentin Richardson.

The melee began after Celtics forward Paul Pierce went down in front of the Heat bench with what he later described as a "stinger" in his shoulder.

Concerned teammates then came to Pierce's aid, as Heat players were attempting to make their way to the bench.

The immediate upshot was individual technical fouls on the Heat's Richardson and Udonis Haslem, as well, as Boston's Glen Davis, in addition to a double-technical foul on Celtics forward Kevin Garnett.

However, in explaining Garnett's ejection to a pool reporter afterward, referee Joe DeRosa opened the door for a possible suspension of Garnett for Tuesday's Game 2 of this opening-round, best-of-seven NBA playoff series.

"He was ejected for throwing an elbow that made contact with Quentin Richardson," DeRosa said. "He had already had one technical foul for taunting with Quentin Richardson before that. Then as the altercation went on, he threw an elbow that did make contact with Richardson which was his second technical foul and he was ejected."

The NBA has cracked down over the years on elbows above the shoulders.

Asked if, in his opinion, Garnett connected with Richardson, DeRosa said, "Yes, that's what the video replay that we saw looked like, that he clearly made contact with Richardson. But even if he had not, he still would have been ejected for a second technical foul for throwing an elbow."

Garnett said he was standing up for his teammate.

"I just saw Q was standing over him, talking nonsense," Garnett said. "I just asked him to give him some room. Before you knew it, mayhem started. They have history of bumping heads a little bit. The only thing that I was trying to do was give them common courtesy for an injured player. That's all.

"I have no beef with Q, I know him personally. I thought what he did was a little disrespectful, by standing over a guy that is hurt, just talking nonsense. Before you knew it, it all just broke out."

Garnett claimed he was grabbed by Heat backup center Jamaal Magloire, who was in uniform but did not play Saturday.

Richardson said he merely was trying to continue play, with no timeout called at the time.

"I was trying to get over there to take the ball out of bounds and he started to talk to me so I talked back," he said of Pierce. "I don't have any business talking to him. He was on the ground crying. I don't know what was going on, two actresses over there, that's what they are."

Clearly something is simmering heading into Game 2.

"I just get surprised by people's actions when I know them better than that," Richardson said. "They're not those characters they portray. They're not who they say they are. Garnett and Pierce, they're good basketball players, and that's about it."

Richardson apparently thought Pierce was acting, telling teammate Jermaine O'Neal as much. As it was, Pierce remained in the game.

"I said to Jermaine, 'He's OK, because I knew nobody touched him. Is he taking another break like he does so many times? Sometimes he falls like he's about to be out for the season and then he gets right up.' That's all I said."

Asked about the tone of the series, Richardson said, "I don't like them, and they know it."

Of possibly being without Garnett for Game 2, Celtics coach Doc Rivers said, "I'm concerned as far as what I heard and know. I haven't seen it, so I'm at a disadvantage. You know, I don't think he was the instigator. I can say that much. I did see that much. But we'll see."

Heat guard Dwyane Wade chalked it up to theatrics.

"Couple of basketball players out there acting tough, that's all it was," he said. "It's a playoff series, so we look forward to it. There's gonna be some more chatter, I'm sure, throughout the series. But that's what it's about. It was nothing more than that."

Still, that doesn't mean Wade doesn't also consider it a tough-guy routine.

"Yeah that's there mentality," he said. "They try to push you to the limit, they try to bully you. I think if you let them get in your head, they'll succeed at it. That's what they do.